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Treviso coach banned for pen attack

Date published: January 30 2015

Giorgio Intoppa, the Treviso strength and conditioning coach, has been banned after making contact “with or close to the eye of an Edinburgh player” with a pen.

Intoppa appeared before an independent Pro12 Rugby Disciplinary Committee, having been charged with misconduct by the Disciplinary Officer of Pro12 Rugby, arising from an incident in the match between Edinburgh and Treviso in December.

The charge was that Mr Intoppa had, with a pen, made contact with or close to the eye of an Edinburgh player during a mass brawl which had spilled off the field and into and over the crowd barriers at Murrayfield.

The Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Roger Morris (Wales), alongside David Martin (Ireland), heard submissions on behalf of the Disciplinary Officer and Mr Intoppa and considered and viewed written and video evidence, including oral evidence from two Edinburgh players involved.

The Disciplinary Committee, in upholding the misconduct complaint, found that the act had been reckless rather than intentional, finding that Mr Intoppa had entered the brawl with a pen in his hand which he should have known could have caused injury to another person or persons.

They listened in turn to submissions on an appropriate sanction for the offence and concluded that a suspension from any involvement or contact with rugby teams on match days until Sunday 15 March 2015 (inclusive) should be imposed on Mr Intoppa, who was reminded of his right of appeal.